Brian Keith Adams (April 14, 1964 – August 13, 2007) was an American Professional Wrestler best known for his work for WWE as Crush and for WCW under his own name. He debuted in 1986 in the NWA Pacific Northwest Wrestling territory in Portland. He would go on to be a 2x NWA PNW Heavyweight Champion
and a 2x NWA PNW Tag Team Champion. In 1990, WWE brought him in as Crush, the surprise third member of Demolition, who were the WWE World Tag Team Champions at the time. After the team was broken up following WrestleMania VII, Adams went back to PNW and spent time in various independents until WWE brought him back in 1992. He was still Crush, but now he had a gimmick based on his growing up in Hawaii and was a face. This lasted until Yokozuna squashed and injured him in 1993. He came back as a heel, having aligned himself with Yoko's manager Mr. Fuji and turned into a "Foreign" Wrestling Heel. Crush feuded with Randy Savage. In early 1995, WWE fired him after he was arrested for illegal gun possession and for purchasing steroids. He returned in late 1996, aligned with manager Clarence Mason as a member of The Nation of Domination. This lasted until June 1997, when Faarooq fired him, leading to Crush forming his biker gang the Disciples of Apocalypse. Adams left after, in the storyline, Kane injured him. In actuality, he left in protest over the infamous Montreal Screwjob. He went to WCW and joined the nWo. After accomplishing basically nothing for two years, he and Bryan Clarke were teamed up as Kronik and would go on to be 2x WCW World Tag Team Champions. After WCW died, he and Clarke sat on the sidelines until, in the storyline, Steven Richards brought them in to WWE as part of the InVasion/Alliance feud and had them attack The Undertaker and Kane as revenge for how UT had accelerated the demise of Right to Censor. After a notorious stinker of a match at Unforgiven, Kronik disappeared. They would have a run in All Japan Pro Wrestling before retiring.
Not to be confused with Bryan Adams nor with Ryan Adams nor with Crush.
"Crushing Tropes":
- Alternate Company Equivalent: Russo tried turning Kronik into WCW's version of The APA.
- Badass Biker: As the leader of the DOA.
- Beard of Evil: From his 1993 heel turn up until 2000.
- Charles Atlas Super Power: Legitimately the strongest man in WWE for part of his stay, he won powerlifting competitions while he was in the military and could bench press 580lbs. He was the first man to gorilla press The Undertaker.
- Facial Markings: As a member of Demolition and after his 1993 heel turn.
- Finishing Move: Cranium Crush, Heart Punch, Tilt-A-Whirl Backbreaker
- Heel–Face Revolving Door: In WCW in 2000, due to Russo's nonsensical, incoherent booking style.
- I Have Many Names: Averted. He did have several gimmicks under the name Crush though (a member of Demolition, a laid-back Hawaiian babyface, an evil turncoat, an ex convict, a biker)
- One-Steve Limit: Barely averted, with Brian Adams and Bryan Clarke.
- Power Stable:
- (in WWE): The Nation of Domination, the Disciples of Apocalypse and the Alliance
- (in WCW): The nWo, the Millionaires' Club, the New Blood
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Left the WWE in protest over the Montreal Screwjob. Wouldn’t return until WWE bought WCW.
- The Stoner: The original idea behind Kronik.
- Tag Team:
- (in PNW): The Wrecking Crew
- (in WWE): Demolition (with Ax and Smash).
- (in WCW): Kronik
- Verbal Tic: During his Hawaiian Crush gimmick, he tended to end his sentences with "brudda" or "bruh".
